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Ahmed 1 Sarah Ahmed Ms. Kucik Independent Research G/T 30 April 2014 Is It Really G-r-r-r-r-reat? The Dark Side of Food Marketing to Children Sugary Disney princess cereals, Dora dairy products, Transformers cookies and Trix yogurt tend to be foods that appeal to children. However, food companies do not consider the detrimental effect these foods can have on the developing body of a child. These unhealthy and nutrient deprived foods are marketed to children using their favorite character, or perhaps a recognizable slogan. Food companies pay little regard to the unhealthy qualities of these foods; they are marketed anyway. According to the Federal Trade Commission, food and beverage companies spend approximately $1.8 billion dollars a year marketing food to young children. Food marketing is becoming a major public health concern. Due to the heavy marketing of foods high in fat, sugar, sodium and calories, food marketing is a significant contributor to childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is becoming a serious problem in the United States. According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, childhood obesity rates have tripled since 1980. As of 2014, one in three children in the United States are overweight or obese. This puts them at risk for lifelong obesity and increases their chance of developing conditions such as heart disease and cancer (CDC, FDA, USDA). Childhood obesity is defined as being more than twenty percent above a child’s average height and weight. As of 2014, thirty two percent of children are now overweight or obese, with seventeen percent falling in the obese range (FTC Ahmed 2 45). It is generally accepted that obesity is caused by lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet, however, one fails to consider why a child is more inclined to pick one food over another. Food and beverage companies realize that if a certain food includes a child’s favorite television or movie character, that food will be more desirable to the child. Food and beverage industries use all means to appeal to children. They use cartoon characters, promotions, creative packaging, television advertisements and mobile marketing, among a few techniques (CCFC). The marketing techniques employed are extremely clever and manipulative. Children unknowingly desire fatty and sugary foods, thus increasing the rate of childhood obesity. Foods that are marketed are very unhealthy and lead to unhealthy consumption patterns in children. The food industry spares no expense to advertise sugary and fatty foods to children. Annually, approximately “$1.6 billion dollars is spent advertising foods to the youth of America” (McGinnis and Appleton 50). Children included in this group range from ages two through eighteen. According to Blanke Doug, sixty three percent of this total was spent to market just three types of products- sugary breakfast cereals, fast food, and carbonated drinks. These foods are low in the vitamins and minerals but high in saturated fats, trans fats, sugar and sodium. For example, the breakfast cereal Frosted Flakes are advertised to be healthy and full of grains a child needs, yet one serving of this popular cereal contains eleven grams of sugar which is nearly half of what a child should eat daily. Around eighty percent of foods marketed on television are unhealthy, but the more children are exposed to advertisements of these foods, the more they desire them (Richardson). They do not realize the nutritional value of the food marketed to them, they just want the food that is being heavily marketed to them. Ahmed 3 Food and beverage companies use very manipulative and well researched techniques to advertise their unhealthy foods in order to make them appealing to the youth of America. They most commonly advertise using television, radio and print. Children ages five to ten are more easily targeted through television or radio; food and beverage companies take full advantage of that. A report conducted by the Federal Trade Commission revealed that companies spent nearly $135 million dollars in ads directed towards children in 2009 alone. That rate has been steadily increasing ever since. Television advertisements are very meticulously produced and well researched. Marketing companies employ many techniques they think will entice children with the most common techniques on television being “repetitive slogans, famous characters, vibrant and catchy production features (action and movement, rapid pacing, sound effects” (Cami 1). All these marketing techniques seize a child’s attention and make him or her nag their parents to buy the unhealthy food that is marketed. These techniques not only appeal to the youth, they also appeals to parents. Food and beverage companies offer parents coupons and discounts to buy certain foods, even if they are not beneficial to the family’s health. If a food is lower in cost and convenient, parents prefer to purchase that food rather than a healthier, yet time consuming option. Along with the traditional techniques, the food industry extensively uses Neuromarketing which are brain research techniques that can truly measure a consumer's response to marketing. It is able to “observe users deep cognitive and emotional reactions to marketing” (Chester, Cheyne, Dorfman and Larson). Neuromarketing shows how advanced technology of the twenty first century is and how hard food and beverage companies try to attract children. The marketers observe everything that will bring them a step closer to figuring out what exactly a child wants and getting him or her to buy unhealthy food, even if the effects are Ahmed 4 harmful. Food and beverage industries also use the internet, viral marketing and websites to advertise foods, although this form of marketing is not as prevalent. According to the Federal Trade Commission, this accounts for 7% of all marketing. The Yale Rudd Center concluded, “They (food companies) continue to find new and creative ways to reach children, often blurring the line between content and advertising and encouraging children to send marketing messages to their friends through Youtube, Facebook, and other social media.” As with television, children do not realize they are being manipulated since they can not distinguish between advertisements and actual programming. Since these food companies blur the line between content and advertising, young children are easy targets for food companies. An example is the television advertisement for Teddy Bear grahams. Children generally like teddy bears and it is present in many television ads or movies children watch such as the Berenstain bears, Winnie the Pooh and the popular movie, the Jungle Book. Children are left confused on whether the advertisement was actual programming, or just an ad. This is an example of “stealth advertising” (Chester et al). This form of advertising is based on the theory that advertising is most effective when consumers do not recognize it as advertising. Taking advantage of the fact that online marketing to children is far less regulated than television, these advertisers will extensively use websites or other interactive, yet appealing sources to market food to children (Cami 2). This form of advertising exposes a child to many products, yet they remain unaware of it. One such example is the website for Post Foods. On this website, children set up virtual Ahmed 5 people and are able to play games with them. These games allow children to unlock special features such as wallpapers, clothes for their virtual icons and coupons. The more time a child spends on this website, the more advertisements they are exposed to for sugary foods. This contributes to childhood obesity. Websites appeal to parents as they offer codes, sweepstakes, and coupons which appeal to parents. Websites give free downloads like posters, wallpapers, bookmarks and icons. They also take advantage of popular films or pop culture to advertise and include clips of characters from a movie for sweepstakes (FTC 66). Food and beverage companies make sure to set up elaborate websites full of games and puzzles which appeal to children and make them stay on the internet longer, therefore being influenced by these companies. Children are extremely vulnerable to food marketing. According to Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, brand loyalty begins when a child is merely two years old. The influence of marketing on children is so significant that they are able to recognize slogans and brand logos before their own names (Etego 3). Kids especially use “pester power” where they nag their parents to buy a certain food (Schlosser 10. According to the Yale Rudd Center, the average child in the United States views around 13 food commercials a day, totaling 4,700 a year. The average teenager in the United States views 16 food commercials a day, totaling 5,900 a year.” Television is such a huge part of the twenty first century’s child and the food industries understand that. Children are the food industry’s “surrogate salesmen.” America certainly does not need these salesmen. Food and beverage companies have steadily been increasing the different categories of food they advertise. According to the Federal Trade Commission, dairy product marketing to Ahmed 6 children increased from $54.5 million in 2006 to $78.4 million in 2009. Dora yogurt products and convenient snack foods such as go gurt are especially popular in grocery stores. These products are extremely sugary but they appeal to younger children. However, the food industry does not target only younger children. They aim to entice both children from elementary schools to high schools. In 2009, “17% of the child-directed food marketing ($173 million) and 10% of the teen directed food marketing was spent on breakfast cereal” (FTC 31). Children are more vulnerable and the food and beverage companies take advantage of that fact. “Food and beverages, particularly candy, carbonated soft drinks, and salty snacks or chips, were ranked among the top leading items that teens aged thirteen to seventeen purchase with their own money” (Institute Of Medicine of the National Academies). High school students have more freedom with their money and can spend it on what they wish, rather than demand a certain food from their parents. However, they tend to pick what is convenient and cheap such as fast food, sugary products and junk food, among a few foods. In 2006, only $11.5 million of the $2.1 billion spent marketing food to children was for fruits and vegetables. (Cami 4). High school students consume significant amounts of junk food which leads them to develop unhealthy diets. These fat, sugar and sodium filled diets negatively affect their health. Unfortunately, the government has not imposed strict guidelines on food and beverage companies to monitor food marketing. In 2006, Congress created the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative(CFBAI)-a self-regulatory program administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus to restrict food marketing aimed at children under the age of 12 (Yale Rudd Center). However, “through narrow marketing definitions, loopholes in marketing types, and significant gaps in nutrition standards, the CFBAI nutrition criteria allow companies to Ahmed 7 continue to market foods and beverages high in calories, sodium, saturated fat and/or added sugars” (Dorfman and Wootan 2). Parents and the youth of America continue to watch advertisements marketing foods that do not benefit them, yet the government does not intervene and regulate these industries. In 2009, Congress formed Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children (Schlosser 44). In 2012, Congress requested this agency to conduct an examination of the loopholes food and beverage companies use to maneuver their way around strict guidelines. To date, that analysis has not been completed (Dorfman 3). This is a form of corruption which is costing America the health of its youth because Congress is not strictly enforcing these regulations on these food and beverage companies. This lack of regulation, in turn, harms the youth of America and causes them to consume unhealthy diets. First Lady, Michelle Obama, called a White House meeting to improve nutrition of food marketed towards children (Cohen). She promoted the program Let’s Move! which is attempting to help solve the problem of childhood obesity. She stated, “When the average child is now spending nearly eight hours a day in front of some kind of screen, many of their opinions and preferences are being shaped by the marketing campaigns you all create. And that’s where the problem comes in.” Obama realizes the high amount of television a child tends to watch and the profound effect food advertising has on them. Indeed, that truly is where the problem comes in. With proper guidance by parents and legislation, unhealthy food marketing may be curbed. Actions can be taken to reduce the unhealthy effects marketing has on children, thus lowering the rate of childhood obesity. Parents and guardians need to ignore “pester power” and take control of their child’s diet. They also need to educate their children and discuss healthier Ahmed 8 habits with their children. Food and beverage companies need to promote healthier food. They should encourage children to eat a healthy diet and include vital nutrients needed from the food pyramid into their diet. Food industry should work through the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) to “revise, expand, enforce and evaluate explicit industry self regulatory guidelines beyond traditional advertising to include evolving vehicles and venues for marketing communications” (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies). The government needs to realize how serious the effects of food marketing to children truly are. It must develop a stronger role in food marketing and impose strict guidelines on food and beverage companies. Although it is generally accepted that childhood obesity is caused by an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, one tends to not consider the factors behind why a child may be eating an unhealthy food or why a child may not exercise. Food marketing to children is a very important factor that causes obesity, yet it is commonly overlooked. It is crucial to set specific regulations on food and beverage companies to curb childhood obesity for the the future of America, not just profits. Works Cited Blanke, Doug, J.D. "Food Marketing to Kids." Public Health Law Center. William Mitchell College of Law, 4 Apr. 2010. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. Cami, Ann. "Marketing and Media." Thefutureofchildren.org. Princeton-Brookings, 1 Apr. 2008. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. "Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity." Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. CCFC, 3 July 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2014 CDC, FDA, USDA. "Interagency Working Group Seeks Input on Proposed Voluntary Principles for Marketing Food To Children”. Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission,28 April 2011. Web. 05 Jan 2014. Chester, Jeff, Andrew Cheyne, Lori Dorfman, and Gary O. Larson. "Digital Marketing." Foodmarketing.org. Healthy Eating Research Program, Center for Digital Democracy, Berkeley Media Studies Group. 31 May 2011. Web. 17. Nov. 2013. Cohen, Elyse. "First Lady Michelle Obama Encourages Collaborative Food Marketing Effort to Empower Parents." The White House. White House, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Dorfman, Lori, and Margo G. Wootan. "Food Marketing." F As in Fat. Trust for America's Health, 1 May 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. . Etego, Rudolph. It Pays to Advertise: Junk Food Marketing to Children." Food Water Watch General. Food and Water Watch, 28 Nov. 2012. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. "Food Marketing to Children." Cspinet.org. Center for Science in the Public Interest(CSPI). n.d.Web. 24 Oct. 2013. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. "Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?" Iom.edu. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 Dec. 2005. Web. 18 Nov. 2013 McGinnis, J. Michael., Jennifer Appleton. Gootman, and Vivica I. Kraak. Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity? Washington, D.C.: National Academies, 2006. Print. Richardson, Jill. "Behind the Shady World of Marketing Junk Food to Children." Alternet.Alternet, 22 Mar. 2010. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Print. United States. Federal Trade Commission. Office of Public Affairs. A Review of Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents. Bureau of Consumer protections, Bureau of Economics, Michelle Y. Kambara, Susie Liu, and Mariel Woods. Federal Trade Commission, 1 Dec.2012. Web. 8 Nov. 2013. Yale Rudd Center. "Food Marketing to Youth." Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity — What We Do.Yale University, 01 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.